Program Overview

MSci Environmental Geoscience - 2026 entry

Overview

Designed to equip you with an advanced understanding of the geology, chemistry and physics of the Earth and to tackle global environmental challenges. Gain technical experience through 70 days of fieldwork, as well as laboratory classes, optional industry placement and a major final-year research project. Study in Cornwall at Exeter’s Penryn Campus and gain access to world-class geoscience case studies on your doorstep. Taught by the Camborne School of Mines, a combined geoscience and mining department with an international reputation for research-inspired teaching. Excellent industrial links ensure that the skills gained will be highly valued by employers. Recent partners include: Rio Tinto, British Geological Survey, European Space Agency and CL:AIRE.

Entry Requirements

• Typical offer: A level: ABB, IB: 32/655, BTEC: DDM
• Contextual offers: A-Level: BBC, IB: 28/554, BTEC: DMM
• Specific subject requirements: GCE A-Level in two science subjects* (see below) at grade B or A-Level Geology at grade B.
• GCSE: C or 4 in English Language and Mathematics
• Access to HE: 24 L3 credits at Distinction Grade and 21 L3 credits at Merit Grade
• T-Level: Distinction in Design, surveying and planning for construction only

Course Content

Year 1

• Compulsory modules:
  • CSM1042: Dynamic Planet
  • CSM1031: Earth and Environmental Chemistry
  • CSM1043: Crystallography, Mineralogy and Gemstones
  • CSM1044: Earth History and Palaeontology
  • CSM1036: Field Geology and Geological Maps
  • CSM1041: Quantitative Methods for Geoscientists
  • GEO1405B: Earth System Science
  • CSM1904: CSM Professionalism Year 1

Year 2

• Compulsory modules:
  • CSM2183: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
  • CSM2184: Geological Mapping Techniques
  • CSM2190: Geophysics
  • CSM2327: Igneous and Metamorphic Geology
  • CSM2052: Grand Geoenvironmental Challenges
  • GEO2441: Remote Sensing for Environmental Management
• Optional modules:
  • GEO2454: Waste and Society
  • GEO2457: Physical Ocean Processes
  • CSM2185: Geotechnics
  • CSM2904: CSM Professionalism Year 2

Year 3

• Compulsory modules:
  • CSM3417: Dissertation Project
  • CSM3047: GIS for Geologists
  • CSM3072: Climate change: Past and Future
  • CSM3049: Contaminated Land Management and Remediation
  • CSM3416: International Field Class
  • CSM3152: Hydrogeology
  • CSM3904: CSM Professionalism Year 3
• Optional modules:
  • CSM3070: Volcanology
  • CSM3071: Geological History of Life on Earth
  • CSM3061: Energy Resource Geology
  • CSM3409: Politics, Mining and Sustainable Development
  • CSM3444: Soil Mechanics with Mine Tailings Engineering
  • CSM3415: Surveying and Digital Mapping

Final Year

• Compulsory modules:
  • CSMM439: Research Project
  • CSMM423: Fourth Year Field Class
  • CSMM440: Research Frontiers in Earth Science
  • CSMM904: CSM Professionalism MSc

Fees

• Tuition fees for 2025 entry: UK students: £9,535 per year, International students: £30,900 per year
• Scholarships: The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year.

Fieldwork

• All our Geology degree programmes provide a wealth of practical experience of working in the field at amazing locations across the UK and abroad.
• The first year includes a six-day residential field course in Pembrokeshire along with nine one-day field-classes in Cornwall.
• The second year includes 34 days of fieldwork, in locations that include Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
• The third year includes a geological field course in Cyprus, Italy or southern Spain.

Learning and Teaching

• Learning and teaching are delivered through a combination of lectures, ‘hands on’ practical classes, seminars, tutorials, field-based teaching, and independent study.
• Laboratory practical classes will develop your understanding of a range of geoscience topics and help put theory into practice.
• On average you will have 18 teaching hours per week and will need to undertake additional independent study (e.g., directed reading, assignments, and project work).

Assessment

• Assessment methods vary between modules and may include individual or group reports, presentations, practical write-ups and exams.
• More innovative assessment techniques are also used, and may include the use of websites, posters, social media, videos, science communication, and dragons-den style presentations.

Your Future

• Geologists are required to help the global community deal with a range of environmental problems related to climate, energy, water, air pollution, natural hazards, supply of raw materials, and more.
• Geology and geoscience degrees not only prepare you to tackle the world’s biggest environmental challenges, but they also lead to high employment rates and decent salaries, with graduate opportunities in the UK and around the world.
• The Camborne School of Mines Association and the award-winning University of Exeter Careers Service have the skills and a strong network of alumni to help you find employment.

Employer-Valued Skills

• Career opportunities for geologists are limitless.
• Our programmes provide the essential skills for employment in a modern workplace, including discipline specific skills like Geographical Information Systems (GIS), geological mapping and fieldwork, mineral deposit identification and exploration, scientific programming, and use of technical software, in addition to transferable skills such as problem solving, communication, teamwork, leadership, and quantitative data analysis.